Days 4-6 3/18-20/2000

DAY 4, 3/18/2000

Knock Knock

It was early in the day and the bard knocked on the front door.

I went to answer the door since I had difficulty sleeping and I encountered my entire family. It appears they, too, had trouble sleeping.

My dad opened the door but I was there as well. We greeted the bard inside and me and my dad went to talk to him in our modest living room.

The bard looked properly clean and hygienic like yesterday never even happened.

He looked like he came to sell something.

Or maybe to buy my soul or maybe I am overthinking things.

"So are you ready to leave"

"My mom is finishing the final things then we will leave"

"So what instrument did you choose"

"The drum"

"Nice, one of the big three, some may think it's the simplest but it has its difficulties we can talk more in the bar"

"Can you at least spend a week in the village just so if Jack doesn't like it he can leave"

"Yes that's how we will do it"

"Thank you"

My mom finally brought my stuff and I took them and left out of the door back to the bar into his room. He changed his room into a 2 person one.

I chose a bed and so did he. So he began an explanation.

"So as you know by now you are now my apprentice, you will do as I say. Personally I choose apprentices for 6 months which is the minimum you are required to stay by my side. I won't tell you my ability and you won't tell yours but you will see the effects of my ability soon anyway, so for me not to be wary if you want, you can tell me the effects of your ability, simply put mine allows me to bring my imagination to life as an illusion when i play my flute."

"I don't have any visual powers yet i am new after all"

"Ok nice you picked the drum and that's fine and all, it may look the easiest to play but it's the most difficult to master. I would prefer it if you chose a string instrument since they are moderate to play but also moderate to master unlike the flute which is difficult to play but easy to master. Also the drum is boring and you will be the heart of the song which means you must stay on track and if you start doing your own thing then the entire song collapses. You must stick do the beat if you choose a drum"

"Ok how about this i will try them all out this week since the school gives us one freebee. I will try them all out and choose one by the end of the week."

"I have one of each anyway but your schools are probably in better shape, I tend to not look after the string instrument, they are difficult to look after and tune. Currently we are in the town of Gray hill. After a week i am planning on going to Lakenow now it's time to perform for the people of grayvill, we will practice your drums in the afternoon for now, watch me."

We walked out of the room and went to the stage where I sat on a chair and watched him play. At first it was nothing impressive but later I found out how he used his ability.

He made illusions that looked real of heroes and villains, and monsters.Some so scary that i even almost jumped in my seat, i wondered if i could ever compete with that using my ability.

Probably not.

I was almost in a trance, the waves clashing in the sea, the smell of the ocean, the sweat, and the heat of the magma. The fear of the dragon and the feeling of the warzone, many dead. I imagined myself in it. What should I do? I can't fight, I have useless abilities. Maybe I could be a spy or a torturer, and talk to people to gather secrets, but how do you even find those jobs in the first place? I can't just go to the castle and demand to become a spy or anything, and since my ability is so cheap there must be many people that are similar and therefore there is alot of supply and basically no demand.

When I was imagining slaying dragons and going on quests, I was suddenly woken up by the illusion ending. I felt a wetness down below and found out that I wet my pants.

That's not fun, we were about to leave and I quickly went to my room. I can't even imagine what I could say to the bard, I don't even know his name yet. I quickly changed and wore my clean clothes, and asked for a bed to be made. I don't know what he was doing and i didnt want to either, but when he entered i saw that he was collecting money, and saying bye to the bartender and patrons.

"Don't worry it will happen to everyone for the first time."

Does it really or is he just saying that to comfort me.

" Btw we were never formally introduced my name is jack what is yours"

"My name is sir Rolanyolar or just Ro, your parents told me your name but nice to formally be introduced to each other and i would prefer it if you just called me sir bard or just bard"

"OK sir Bard after i wash i would like to learn playing the drums with you"

"Yes that was in fact on the agenda so wash up and let's get ready to go!"

After i cleaned up we left to go to a meadow, and we sat down and he showed me the three types of instruments.

"We have the percussion, the strings, the woodwinds which are what we will use, the brass task, the brass is ridiculously expensive. Don't ever mention the brass to me."

"Before you said there were 3 instruments but apparently there are four."

"Like i said they are perhaps even myths, that's how rare they are, so lets ignore that you probably won't even see one in your life let alone touch one. So forget their even is a fourth one OK"

"Fine, fine, so can you teach me then."

"Of course that's why I brought you here, is to teach you."

He spent the rest of the afternoon explaining the instruments, and I found out that the drum was too simple and I got bored quickly, while the flute was too difficult to play so I just chose the string instrument which he later explained was difficult to do the maintenance of. He taught me how to tune, clean, and play the instrument. It was kind of fun. I got the drum and left it at the school and brought the string instrument with me which I later learned was called a violin.

I regrouped with him in our room, and began to talk to him.

"So will i play with my violin tomorrow"

"We have to talk to the manager, until you become competent enough to play by my side i don't think they will allow you to train here, also tonight we will train on your ability to tolerate illusions"

"Noooo … ok fine i think i will enjoy it anyway bring it on"

Day 5, 3/19/2000

I couldn't sleep that night, it was still really early in the morning. I was tortured by goblins to be in danger in so many ways, losing my loved ones, I have kinda grown numb to all of it. I am a new jack now, a depressed antisocial jack. No I am not but I could at least roleplay, no one knows the difficulties and trials I went through on my first day as a bard. Except my fellow bard, he is an evil incarnate, the monster under the bed, the one who must not be named. He gave Adam the apple from the forbidden tree. I may be overreacting but wow the trauma is real, i don't think ill be able to forget that even with my 3rd glass of cheap beer, wow these taste bad.

"C'mon it wasn't that bad"

"Shut up Ro, yes it was that bad, imagine being so weak and not being able to do anything when losing those that you care about."

"Well, had you not had such an active imagination, you would've been fine, and you need to be prepared for these kinds of things, you have lived such a soft life ya know, you need to toughen up a little"

"Oh shut up like you know what i am going through"

"Ooooh boy you have traveled the wrong path, you will see many mystical wonders on your journey through the land-"

"Stop talking like that"

"Ok fine but still, i have seen and lived through many hardships, and in my many years, i have lived through much more than you so would you kindly stop talking."

I played his game i kept quiet, i had many thoughts on my mind anyway, oh rebeca, how i will miss you rebeca

"Rebeca"

"Whos that"

"My school crush but don't tell anyone"

"I'm good at keeping secrets so are you ready to go into illusions"

"NO i mean i'd like to visit my family again and see if they are ok"

"I still feel like you are overreacting, but ok you do you while you are still in this village."

I left drunk and dirty, just the way my mom doesn't like it, just that I forgot to clean up.

When she inevitably got mad I told her why I was so down.

"Son are you okay"

"N- yes mom"

"Son, is there something you are not telling me?"

"No mom"

"Are you sure"

"..."

"Tap with your foot twice if you are in danger."

I suddenly leapt onto my mom and hugged her, crying into her shoulder.

"Mom being a bard is so scary", "I don't want to grow up", "Can i live here my whole life"

My dad who was watching us said "Son there are some risks but everything carries some risk, grow up a little and stop whining"

"Hush, our kid has lived through a traumatic experience and you say this now!?!"

"He needs this experience to grow up and become a man"

"He is still a kid, he didn't need to live through this now, he could have lived through it later"

Lucas who just woke up came into the scene"Mom dad what's going on"

"Nothing Son"

"C'mon i'll take you back to your bed"

My mom escorted my brother to his room.

"I am fine dad you are correct i need to toughen up"

"Son i know the line between fine and in pain, how can i help you"

"Just tell me that you two are ok"

He told me that nothing had happened to them since last night so I decided to go back to the tavern, significantly less drunk than I was before.

What a lovely day! The flowers are blooming and the chickens are lazing around, and suddenly the dragon attacks!, but don't worry, the hero is there to save the village, Gorg the dragon slayer he was called, nobody knows his ability, not even his own mother, and then…

Wait the dragon, I need to tell mom, but I was just with my mom, then I went to the tavern and then…

Suddenly i feel like it feels unrealistic, like a hallucination, and i force myself to wake up i walk to the stage and sit beside the bard.

"Nice show"

"Thank you"

I imagined playing my instrument next to the bard in harmony. While I was shadow playing, suddenly he stopped and everyone clapped. I was left awestruck. Everyone clapped for me, I felt like I was the king of the world. I suddenly gave myself a reality check. I was not a king and I would never be a king. I mean I would if I had the ability, but I can't, simply because of my ability.

Last night's inability to protect myself proved that. I am weak.

The bard snapped his fingers in front of my face and I let him pull me up.

We went to the room. I grabbed my violin and we went to the meadow again.

I practiced all day long and finally I learned to play a basic song, but really badly.

I told him I didn't want to practice illusions tonight and he reluctantly agreed.

I then went to sleep with much difficulty and got ready for the next day.

Day 6, 3/20/2000

When I woke up I wore my clothes. I grabbed my violin. I went on a walk. I started playing as I walked. The breeze felt nice. It felt cool against my skin. I was free like a bird. 

Well, my playing was awful. That's a fact. I saw some kids whispering about me. I wonder what that was about and when I looked around I noticed that. Actually, everyone who was looking at me, some of them were a bit more like Not as obvious about it. 

What I did. When I went to the first kid I saw I asked him what he was laughing about. He said that it was nothing. But I looked straight in the eye and I asked him again. This time what he said was that they heard about my high school crush. I was shocked. I had never told anyone about it. I was always so secretive about it as well. There's no way she knows that. 

I just told him to ignore it because it is a lie. I decided to ignore it as well because there's no way they knew it was Rebecca there is absolutely no way until I saw Rebecca looking at me. 

She never looked at me like that in her whole life. I was shocked, I never told anyone. then how? 

I walked up to her and said hi

She just stared back. Another anomaly.

Rebacca had not yet awakened, she would awaken in a few days as well. I was excited for her.

Then she asked-"Do you have a crush on me" She blushed

My brain freezed and i dropped my violin. My world froze. Everything suddenly went quiet. I mean it was a small crush, and i was a young boy, was it abnormal for me to have dreams?, but ever since becoming a bard i never had such thoughts, like the bard told me, he was a nomadic pollinator, not that i agree with that ideology. But still i had to travel from place to place i couldn't stay in a spot to marry her. Suddenly I heard someone calling my name loudly, it was almost like an alarm so I immediately slapped myself and got back to reality.

I looked around me, Rebbecca was holding the violin thankfully, and was about to snap her fingers again before I slapped myself. I apologized to her and took my violin and went to a meadow and started tuning and practicing my violin.

Rebecca POV

He was so charming. Shut up he was no shining knight, he is a bard A BARD. He is so below your standards. They call him a crybaby as well, he deserves it, look at him a single blush and he is gone. I was blushing honestly though.

Well forget it he is far below you once you awaken you will choose a suitable mate, one that suits your standards. Not a crybaby.

Jacks POV

I cleared my mind and started playing, i played in harmony with the wind and the river, with the birds in the sky and the leaves fluttering by. That rhymed. I don't purposely try to make rhymes but sometimes they happen. Ah that felt good as i get better at playing, the more i feel that i can express myself through the melodious nature of music. Currently I'm feeling a heartbreak where my school crush did not exactly dump me but it certainly felt like it. I don't know anything about girls i might as well ask my dad about it, the bard is certainly a no go. 

"Hey bard man, I got dumped today."

"By who Rebbecca"

"Hah caught you, how did you even know that?"

"Yeah you told me while you were drunk"

Huh i have many more secrets, i must stay away from alcohol.

"Ok so how do i handle rejection"

"Just get drunk with me"

"Oh i have to go somewhere please excuse me"

I went to my dads smith shop.

"Dad can you try to teach me blacksmithing again"

"Son have you finally awakened your inner blacksmith"

"I just want to talk dad"

"You know how it is, son, I have clients to forge for, and money to make."

I already knew he would say that before it came out of his mouth, i walked away and went to sit down under a tree.

I started to think. Am I overreacting or is this just the adult world? I decided to don a mask that will protect my real feelings, it will be a stoic strong mask. THe mask that people will see and fear.

I start practicing and imagining myself in different scenarios where I don my mask. I am a new Jack.

Back at the bar

"Hey jack how are you currently hopefully you are not too embarrassed or upset with me"

"Good"

"Fine be moody all you want"

I went to sleep with my mask on.